If I had a WFO, I'd be buying the Caputo 55lb. sacks. I can get them for $28 a bag, from Maine Source in North Syracuse. I have used the Caputo pizzeria flour before for foccacia that had potatoes in the dough and it was wonderful. Entirely different application though.

Thanks for the tip! Just called Maine Source Restaurant Supply in Scranton, and they will get a 55 lb bag of Caputo for me tomorrow! Anybody need some Caputo in my area, I will be glad to sell smaller bags at cost. I just ordered a Blackstone Oven! Neapolitan here I come!! Mark

Thanks for the tip! Just called Maine Source Restaurant Supply in Scranton, and they will get a 55 lb bag of Caputo for me tomorrow! Anybody need some Caputo in my area, I will be glad to sell smaller bags at cost. I just ordered a Blackstone Oven! Neapolitan here I come!! Mark

Glad to have helped. Good luck with the Blackstone! I'm looking forward to seeing pics and comments on what you think of the oven. Diana

Scott;It's not that it doesn't work, it just doesn't provide consistently accurate results with our hard wheat flours. Our research has now moved past the common laboratory testing methods (Alveograph, Farinograph, Mixograph, Extensograph) for determining flour quality as we are now exploring Infrared as a rapid quality assessment tool. We can now give you protein content, dough absorption, and mixing time date in less than a minute using IR. We are presently working on finished loaf volume (a true test for flour quality) using IR correlation too.These are interesting and changing times that we live in.Tom Lehmann/The Dough Doctor

Our research has now moved past the common laboratory testing methods (Alveograph, Farinograph, Mixograph, Extensograph) for determining flour quality as we are now exploring Infrared as a rapid quality assessment tool. We can now give you protein content, dough absorption, and mixing time date in less than a minute using IR. We are presently working on finished loaf volume (a true test for flour quality) using IR correlation too.These are interesting and changing times that we live in.Tom Lehmann/The Dough Doctor

Tom,

I didn't know the research has now moved to exploring infrared technology as a rapid quality assessment tool for flours. The finished loaf volume using infrared is interesting too.

Norma;As you may already know, all of the existing flour quality assessment/measuring methods are somewhat time consuming, and to some extent accuracy of results contingent upon operator technique. The use of IR addresses both of these issues, but that isn't the driving force behind our work, as our world population grows, producing food will become ever more problematic and critical. The conceptual vision of a bakery in the future (we're only talking at most, 50-years) is one that is essentially fully automated. The variability of flour has presented the greatest challenge to developing this bakery. Our work is targeted toward using IR to measure (in real time) the absorption and mixing time characteristics of the flour, and then to make automatic changes as needed to produce doughs that are consistently the same (remember GIGO). We also use IR to look for specific ingredients in the dough to ensure the automated ingredient delivery systens are functioning properly. The level of confidence here needs to be high enough to allow for automated correction of any ingredient(s) during the dough mixing cycle, all without human intervention. The rest of the processing line is pretty straight forward and pretty well automated to a hands-off level already today. A good example of this is in the Rheon Bakery in Orange, California. The Rheon Company operates a bakery there making croissants to the tune of several thousand pounds per hour with only two people operating the entire line, and most of the time those two people are pushing brooms doing light cleanup work. If anyone is ever out in this area, check to see about getting a tour of the bakery...it's pretty amazing.Tom Lehmann/The Dough Doctor

Norma;As you may already know, all of the existing flour quality assessment/measuring methods are somewhat time consuming, and to some extent accuracy of results contingent upon operator technique. The use of IR addresses both of these issues, but that isn't the driving force behind our work, as our world population grows, producing food will become ever more problematic and critical. The conceptual vision of a bakery in the future (we're only talking at most, 50-years) is one that is essentially fully automated. The variability of flour has presented the greatest challenge to developing this bakery. Our work is targeted toward using IR to measure (in real time) the absorption and mixing time characteristics of the flour, and then to make automatic changes as needed to produce doughs that are consistently the same (remember GIGO). We also use IR to look for specific ingredients in the dough to ensure the automated ingredient delivery systens are functioning properly. The level of confidence here needs to be high enough to allow for automated correction of any ingredient(s) during the dough mixing cycle, all without human intervention. The rest of the processing line is pretty straight forward and pretty well automated to a hands-off level already today. A good example of this is in the Rheon Bakery in Orange, California. The Rheon Company operates a bakery there making croissants to the tune of several thousand pounds per hour with only two people operating the entire line, and most of the time those two people are pushing brooms doing light cleanup work. If anyone is ever out in this area, check to see about getting a tour of the bakery...it's pretty amazing.Tom Lehmann/The Dough Doctor

Tom,

I think I know somewhat (but never really watched the processes of of how thing are done, which I would love to watch how those process are done) of assessment/measuring methods, but really didn't know that the accuracy of the results are contingent upon operator techniques. I would also love to watch the use of IR in seeing how that works. I find what you posted that in the future that things will be mostly fully automated interesting in higher volume businesses. I do know that consistency in doughs does depend on the variability of flour, etc, but also didn't know all what you posted. That is very interesting stuff to me. I don't recall what GIGO stands for and don't think I every heard that before, unless my brain is failing me.

Rep BIOJackie graduated from the University of Kentucky in 2009. After graduation she began her career with Frito Lay. In January 2012 Jackie joined the General Mills convenience team and moved to Raleigh, NC. In March 2013 she joined the Bakeries and Foodservice team.

Fun FactJackie is a die hard Kentucky Wildcat basketball fan and even was one of the mascots for two years in college.

Rep BIOJackie graduated from the University of Kentucky in 2009. After graduation she began her career with Frito Lay. In January 2012 Jackie joined the General Mills convenience team and moved to Raleigh, NC. In March 2013 she joined the Bakeries and Foodservice team.

Fun FactJackie is a die hard Kentucky Wildcat basketball fan and even was one of the mascots for two years in college.

JJ,

I think the jig might be up if I push it too hard!!

I'll start with the generous sharing offer you've made and take it from there.

If you had told me you were communicating with some nameless operator in Duluth or something I might go for it, but I think I'll hold off.

On th eother hand, I've got an autographed John Calipari hat that she might want to trade for!!! Hunter would be M-A-D!!! (its his hat!)

I know of one other forum member that Joe sent the new GM flour to. I don't know if Joe's offer still stands or not, but it wouldn't hurt to give him a call.

Norma

Norma,

Thanks for that! Yesterday I emailed the rep for N+S Carolina and told her I didn't own a restaurant but that I baked NP and was very interested in trying the product. She emailed me back within a minute and told me a sample is on the way!

It was almost as good as that State Farm ad where those guys are sitting in their living room and they snap their fingers and a hot tub magically appears I the living room!

I'll let you guys know if I receive the generously sized "samples" that others have. Today I am going to email the Pappy Van Winkle rep and see if I can get a "sample" of the 15 year bourbon.

Thanks for that! Yesterday I emailed the rep for N+S Carolina and told her I didn't own a restaurant but that I baked NP and was very interested in trying the product. She emailed me back within a minute and told me a sample is on the way!

It was almost as good as that State Farm ad where those guys are sitting in their living room and they snap their fingers and a hot tub magically appears I the living room!

I'll let you guys know if I receive the generously sized "samples" that others have. Today I am going to email the Pappy Van Winkle rep and see if I can get a "sample" of the 15 year bourbon.

John K

John,

Glad you were able to obtain a sample of the new GM flour. Lol about the State Farm snapping their fingers and the hot tub magically appearing in the living room.

Good luck with emailing the Pappy Van Winkle rep and getting a sample of the 15 year bourbon. I think that is next to impossible.